You have been working out for a while, and suddenly you aren’t seeing changes anymore. You feel like your body is stuck. You have hit the dreaded plateau.
A fitness plateau is when you are working out and your body stops changing. People get down on themselves when this happens, and sometimes even stop working out.
The good news is you don’t have to worry about this. Fitness plateaus are totally normal, happen to everyone, and they are completely fixable!
Usually when you hit a plateau one of two things has happened. Either you are over training and doing too much, or you have been doing the same workout for two long, and you need to change things.
Over training plateaus happen often, though most people don’t realize it. People love to push themselves and often way too hard. They decide they want to work hard and over do everything, working out seven days a week, working out too long, lifting way too much or doing too many reps.
If you have been going crazy in the gym and have hit a plateau, take at least four to five days off. I mean actually off. No recovery runs. No easy workouts. Just relax, eat and sleep. Your body needs a break and down time. Give it the time it needs and you will see the plateau vanish when you come back to working out again.
If you are on the other side, you have been the same workouts again and again you need to change things up, because your body used to it. I know you like your routine, but doing it again and again isn’t going to get you more fit.
Your body will only get as fit as it needs to get with the exercise you give it. If you keep doing the same workouts again and again, your body will get only as fit as it needs to so it can handle those workouts. After that nothing will change.
It’s important to change things on at least monthly basis to keep your body guessing, and help get you more fit.
Small changes in your workouts, whether it’s time off or changing the workout plan, will have big gains for you and your fitness level.
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Devin Sherrington was named #2 trainer in Canada 2015, is 8 time Best Personal Fitness Trainer Halifax award winner, and owner the award winning fitness studio 360fit in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. He lives in Fletcher’s Lake, Nova Scoita with his children Reign and Journey.